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Definition of "nankeen" []

  • A sturdy yellow or buff cotton cloth. (noun)
  • Trousers made of this cloth. (noun)
  • A Chinese porcelain with a blue-and-white pattern. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "nankeen" in a sentence
  • "– a little old man in nankeen trousers and vest, a long blue coat and ruffled shirt, leaning on his cane, for he was lame, and smiling and bowing like a true Frenchman."
  • "Scott proceeded to review the standard list of cruel stereotypes and to repeat the derogatory poem that had earlier riled Williams: “Mandarins with yellow buttons, handing you conserves of snails;/Smart young men about Canton in nankeen tights and peacock’s tails.”"
  • "The range of colors that could be indicated by the name nankeen overlapped with yellow colors that bore different names, suggesting, despite its origins, that nankeen was the name of greatest value to merchants rather than to manufacturers."